San Diego, CA
‘Everybody’s Irish on St. Patty’s Day’: Thousands celebrate at San Diego parade
A week of rainy weather, reminiscent of the Emerald Isle, set the stage for San Diego’s St. Patrick’s Day parade in Balboa Park on Saturday. Thousands of people dawned green at the 43rd annual Irish festival and embraced the warm sun.
Muddy grass smooshed under the feet of attendees milling about the festival grounds, some carrying beers and bratwurst while others shuffled over to a stage to watch local Irish dance students tap and leap in sync.
John Hyatt, a spokesperson for the Irish Congress of Southern California who organized the event, said the all-day celebration, which ran from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m., was completely put together by volunteers. The theme of this year’s festival was “Celebrating Irish Businesses.”
The one-day festival on Saturday offered an outlet for people to share Irish culture and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day whether they have Irish heritage or not.
“I hope what (people) take away from the event is a feeling of hospitality that we’re known for in the Irish community,” Hyatt said.
Fifth Avenue was lined with families cheering on the bands of bagpipes played by the local firefighters marching in the parade, as well as the “Friendly Sons of St. Patrick” singing Irish folk songs, while some of the kilted men smoked cigars as they walked.
In addition to the show of local Irish dance troupes and community organizations, the parade also showcased other cultural groups in the parade. A woman adorned in shamrock necklaces waved a giant Mexican flag. She was followed by young girls in vibrant ballet folklórico skirts fanning the asphalt.
“Everybody’s Irish on St. Patty’s Day,” said Bay Park resident Nancy O’Hanlon, who was sporting sparkly shamrock glasses.
She’s been coming to the San Diego St. Patrick’s Day parade since the mid-1980s — the first one was held in March 1981. O’Hanlon said she enjoys celebrating her Irish heritage with friends each year and showing support to so many different communities in San Diego.
Joe and Laura Little drove about three-and-a-half hours from Edwards Air Force Base in Antelope Valley to attend Saturday’s parade. The couple said it’s important for them to share Irish culture with their sons, Noah and Seth. Plus, it was a fun reason to visit family in the area, including Joe’s 97-year-old, Irish American great aunt Mee.
Joe Little, who was wearing the Irish flag tied around his neck like a cape, said a family trip to Ireland is on their bucket list. For now, they were excited to experience the drums, bagpipes and Irish culture at the San Diego parade.
Cathy Ward, executive director of the Irish Outreach Center, said the parade’s emphasis on Irish businesses is important because it’s one way to give back to the community. She moved to San Diego in 1989 from County Wicklow after seeing a picture of it in a newspaper — at the time, she’d never even heard of the place she now calls home.
As the head of the Irish Outreach Center, Ward helps connect San Diegans to their Irish heritage with resources such as passport services, local events and group trips to Ireland. For Irish newcomers, they extend their signature hospitality to get people settled into a completely new environment.
“It’s a soft landing,” she said. “Hundreds of Irish students come every summer to work seasonal jobs … so we invite them in and give them a little welcome.”
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That welcoming connection made all the difference for Grainne McGuire, who came to San Diego a decade ago from County Mayo in Ireland. She got plugged into the local community right away and joined an Irish sports league, playing Gaelic football and Camogie.
Ultimately, that led her to found a business called Kiana Sportswear in 2023 alongside her teammate Sophie Grego, making athletic gear for female athletes playing traditional Irish sports. The two women credit the local community for supporting their aspiration and getting their name out there.
“We wouldn’t be a business unless we had the Irish community around us,” said Grego, who was attending the St. Patrick’s Day parade for the first time.
Originally Published:
San Diego, CA
City considering cutting funding to resource center for those experiencing homelessness
Last week Mayor Todd Gloria released the budget proposal for the 2027 fiscal budget. Protected homeless services is among his top priorities mentioned in the proposal. However, some of the reductions he’s proposing could impact thousands of San Diegans experiencing homelessness.
Located on 17th and K Street, the Neil Good Day Center offers an array of services to nearly seven thousand people experiencing homelessness. The services include giving them a place to shower and do laundry, and connecting them to a case manager, among others.
“These are critical services that are helping people off the streets, but really better their lives and their health and their employment situation as well,” Deacon Vargas with Father Joe’s Villages said.
Deacon Jim Vargas heads Father Joe’s Villages, which runs the center. He said through their prevention and diversion strategies, they’ve managed to keep nearly one thousand individuals from falling into homelessness.
“So by helping them pay rent, or helping them with their utilities, or helping them to reunite with family,” Vargas said.
Right now, the city allocates at least $850,000 per year to the Neil Good Day Center, according to Vargas.
But the future and funding for these services are in limbo because of Mayor Todd Gloria’s proposed budget cuts.
“The impact to those whom we’ve been serving the Daily Center would be very severe,” Deacon Vargas said.
In a statement to NBC 7, Mayor Todd Gloria said in part, “We must find more efficient and cost-effective ways to address this crisis and prioritize funding for programs that provide shelter beds and maximize resources to programs that place people into permanent housing.”
Since it’s still at a proposal stage, Deacon Vargas said it’s unclear how the city will decide to move forward.
However, Deacon Vargas said services would be significantly reduced because they would be forced to operate solely on a budget of about half a million dollars they receive from philanthropy.
“The hours would be cut. Some days would be cut. We would have showers that might be impacted because they’re given seven days a week and we’d close two days a week, then the showers would be five days a week, the case management,” Deacon Vargas said.
Deacon Vargas is certain of one thing.
He would like to continue offering services at the Day Center, even if the city goes through with the funding cuts.
“As we work with individuals at the Day Center and at Father Joe’s Villages, the community becomes healthier as a result of it,” Deacon Vargas said.
The budget also recommends additional cuts to homeless services, but does not give specifics as to where those cuts would be.
San Diego Padres (14-7) at Los Angeles Angels (11-11), April 19, 2026, 1:07 p.m. PST
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San Diego, CA
Solans, Luna, Guilavogui help RSL beat slumping San Diego, extend unbeaten streak to 6 games :: WRALSportsFan.com
SANDY, Utah — SANDY, Utah (AP) — Sergi Solans had two goals and an assist, Diego Luna added a goal and two assists, and Real Salt Lake beat San Diego FC 4-2 on Saturday night to extend its unbeaten streak to six games.
Morgan Guilavogui scored his first goal in MLS and had an assist for Real Salt Lake (5-1-1). The 28-year-old designated player has five goal contributions in his first six career games.
RSL hasn’t lost since a 1-0 defeat at Vancouver in the season opener.
San Diego (3-3-2) has lost three in a row and is winless in five straight.
Luna opened the scoring in the fifth minute when he re-directed a misplayed pass by Duran Ferree, San Diego’s 19-year-old goalkeeper, into the net.
Moments later, Solans headed home a perfectly-placed cross played by Luna from outside the right corner of the 18-yard box to the back post to make it 2-0. Solans, a 23-year-old forward, flicked a header from the center of the area inside the right post and past the outstretched arm of Ferree to make it 3-1 in the 37th minute.
Guilavogui slammed home a first-touch shot to give RSL a three-goal lead in the 45th.
Marcus Ingvartsen scored a goal in the 14th minute and Anders Dreyer converted from the penalty spot in the 66th for San Diego.
Ingvartsen has five goals and an assist this season and has 10 goal contributions (seven goals, three assists) in 16 career MLS appearances.
Rafael Cabral had three saves for RSL.
Ferree finished with five saves.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
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